UNKNOWN GUEST

#21 God of Mischief

As I regained my senses, I found myself trapped under a heap of debris—broken desks and shattered computers. Struggling to push the wreckage away, I managed to sit up. My hand instinctively reached up to the side of my head, feeling the warm, sticky blood. I shook off the dizziness and stood, determined to take action.

The static crackle of my comms broke the tense silence. Fury's voice came through, urgent and clear, "Coulson? Hill? Do you copy? Loki has escaped from his cell. He is headed towards the west gate of the Helicarrier."

I glanced around, disoriented, but quickly realized that the west gate was dangerously close to where I was. It was time to act. My resolve hardened; I sprinted towards the entrance, seeking cover behind a door. Through a narrow gap, I spotted Loki walking towards me, his presence as menacing as ever.

I stepped out from behind the cover, gripping my gun tightly. Loki's gaze locked onto me, and a malevolent smirk spread across his face. "Oh, isn't this interesting," he drawled, his eyes gleaming with recognition. "The kid I was talking about."

My grip tightened on the gun, and I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my voice steady despite the panic rising within me. "Stop talking crap, Loki."

He stopped in his tracks, his gaze piercing through me. "Really? Is it?" he taunted, stepping closer. "I can see right through you. You don't belong here. You should not be here, Mr. Rogers."

A chill ran down my spine at his words. How could he possibly know me? The realization struck with a jolt of fear. I stuttered, "I-I don't know what you're t-talking about."

Loki's smirk widened, his eyes narrowing with cruel amusement. "Oh, but you do."

Loki's smile was cold and knowing, but before he could elaborate, Coulson appeared from behind, wielding the same advanced rifle I had seen earlier. "You shouldn't try to do anything unnecessary, Loki. It's better if you surrender."

Loki's chuckle was dark. "Surrender? That word is not meant for me. I, Loki, the god of mischief and the imminent ruler of living beings like you, would never surrender."

Coulson shrugged, his voice steady. "I don't think 'living beings like us' have ever approved you as a ruler."

Loki's smirk grew wider. "Oh, you think I care?"

Suddenly, a second Loki appeared behind Coulson. My heart raced in panic. "Agent Coulson!" I shouted, but it was too late. The second Loki stabbed Coulson from behind. As I watched in horror, the first Loki in front of us vanished—an illusion.

I watched as the Loki who had just stabbed Coulson disappeared. My senses were on high alert, and as I felt a shift behind me, I acted on instinct. I swung my elbow back, connecting with Loki's chest just as he aimed his spear at my back. The spear scraped painfully just below my neck instead of its intended target.

A sharp, searing pain exploded from the cut on my back, causing me to wince. I tried to bring my gun up to fire, but Loki was quicker. He shoved me to the floor, and as I hit the ground, an overwhelming weakness surged through me. My limbs felt like lead, and I struggled to push myself up. Loki's smirk grew wider, his eyes glinting with malicious satisfaction.

"You're not like your father," he taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "You're so weak."

The words were a cruel reminder of my own limitations, and just as despair started to set in, a powerful explosion ripped through the room. Loki was thrown violently against the wall, crashing into it with a thud that reverberated through the room.

I lay there, slumped against the wall, feeling every bit of my energy drain away. My vision was blurred and my head spun with dizziness. I turned my gaze towards Coulson, who was barely conscious. His eyes were struggling to stay open, and through the haze of my vision, I heard him mumble, "So, the Tesseract can do this."